Thursday, February 26, 2009

DreamKeeper keeps your buyers safe in troubled times.

Would your borrower's ability to make their house payments be impacted by the loss of income from an unexpected job layoff or disability? If so, then Dreamkeeper is a program that all buyers need to know more about.
DreamKeeper is a Mortgage Payment Relief (MPR) Program that:

Protects against the #1 cause of missed mortgage payments and foreclosures - Unexpected involuntary loss of employment.

Protects against the #2 cause of missed mortgage payments and foreclosures - Jobs loss from disability.

Pays your borrower's mortgage payment for up to 8 months.

Payments include principal, interest, taxes and insurance, up to $2000 per month for up to 4 consecutive months.
If you are looking to buy a new home, this program is worth checking into. Click here to contact me for more information on this and other programs available to you now!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit: 6 Things you should know.

While the proposed $15,000 home-buyer tax credit died in negotiations between the House and the Senate, the $787 billion stimulus bill that President Barack Obama signed into law Tuesday includes a similar--albeit smaller--measure designed to help revive the real estate market. Here are six things you need to know about the freshly-enacted $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit.

1. Eight grand, new buyers: The tax credit included in the economic stimulus legislation is much narrower than the $15,000 proposal. This credit is equivalent to 10 percent of the purchase price of the home--although it's capped at $8,000--and applies only to first-time home buyers and principal residences. But unlike an earlier $7,500 home buyer tax credit, this one does not have to be repaid.

2. First time buyers defined: For the purpose of this legislation, a "first-time home buyer" is someone who hasn't owned a principal residence for three years before buying a house. (The date of purchase is considered the day that the title is transferred.) That means if you've owned a vacation home--but not a principal residence--within the past three years, you would still qualify for the credit.

3. 2009 buyers only: Only those who purchase a home on or after January 1 and before December 1, 2009 are eligible for the credit. Anyone who bought a home last year won't be able to take advantage of it.

4. Income limits: The tax credit is subject to income limitations. Single buyers need a modified adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less to qualify for the full credit, that's $150,000 for married couples. Those earning more than these thresholds may be eligible for reduced credits.

5. Refundable: Because the tax credit is "refundable," qualified buyers can take advantage of it even if they don't have much tax liability.

6. Recapture: Buyers have to own the home for at least three years in order to capitalize on the credit. If they sell the home before then, they will have to return the credit to the government. (Exceptions will be made in certain cases, such as death or divorce.)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Economic Stimulus Package and what it means to you.

Here are some of the highlights, if you can really call them highlights, of President Obamas economic stimulus package. Of course this will affect each individual differently, but in the long run, will this bill stand the test of time? When we look back in 2 years, what will YOU be saying about the so called life saving piece of legislation?
1. Beginning Jan 1, 09 and running through Dec 1, 09 first time home buyers are eligible for an $8,000 tax credit. The main difference between this and the 08 first time home buyers tax credit of $7,500 is that this new tax credit DOES NOT have to be paid back. Sorry all you home first time home buyers in 08, you still have to repay yours, only those that buy in 09 don't, unless they sell their house within 3 years, then guess what, you do. It is for "primary residence" only and the credit phases out for taxpayers whose AGI exceeds $75,000 for individuals or $150,000 for married couples.
2. Low & Middle income workers will get an extra $13 per week on their checks in 09 and an extra $8 per week in 2010.
3. If you are on unemployment, you do not have to pay taxes on the first $2,400 in benefits and you'll receive an extra $25 per week on your check.
4. Health Insurance for the newly unemployed - "Cobra" will go down BUT with a catch. You will have to pay the portion that the employer used to pay meaning your monthly cost could reach an excess of $1,000 while the Gov't will now pay 65% of what the employer used to pay.
5. Food Stamp benefits will rise slightly.
6. Those receiving supplemental income, ie. Social Security, will receive a "One Time" check for $250.
7. If you purchase a new car in 09, you can receive a tax credit if the purchase does not exceed $49,500 and your credit is determined by the individual state sales tax.
These are just a few of the "highlights" of the package, of course there is more, much much more and in the next few days, we will most certainly learn just what we can each expect from it. Better yet, what do you expect to come from this? Do you think this is going to have an immediate impact on our sluggish economy? Or will it have any impact at all? So far it still does not answer the questions that are on the minds of every American, questions like; Why is the price of gasoline going up again when the price of crude oil continues to go down? How is this going to help those that are in the cross hairs of foreclosure? Where are all the jobs going to come from?
Tick Tock Mr. President, You're on the clock!